Tag Archives: aac

Audeze’s ambitious Mobius is more than a gaming headset

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Tucked inside an unassuming office park just south of LA, there's a modest factory where some of the best audiophile-grade headphones are assembled on a daily basis. Audeze has built its reputation on planar magnetic technology, drivers that produce...

Firefox nightlies now support AAC, MP3 and H.264 by default in Windows

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Firefox nightlies now support AAC, MP3 and H264 by default in Windows

Mozilla hasn't been the most eager supporter of commercialized media formats; it flipped the H.264 switch in Firefox's HTML5 support last year only when it was clear WebM wasn't taking off. Still, those who regularly test the company's latest work will be glad to hear that support for AAC, MP3 and H.264-based MP4 is now enabled by default in Firefox nightly builds. Provided you're using Windows 7 or newer, it's no longer necessary to change settings to play relatively common HTML5 audio and video formats. Web users wanting the extra support in a finished version of the browser will need to wait for a completed Firefox 22, which is expected to launch in late June; risk takers just need to check out the source links.

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Source: Thundering Herd, Mozilla

iRiver’s AK100 now supports Apple-based audio codecs

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iRiver's AK100 now supports Applebased audio codecs

If you're an audiophile with $700 burning a hole in your pocket, you might've been tempted by iRiver's Astell & Kern AK100. Already boasting Mastering Quality Sound (MQS) lossless audio playback -- along with support for MP3, Ogg, FLAC, WAV, WMA and APE codecs -- there's now another reason to be seduced by the luxury pmp. Released today, firmware update version 1.3 for the device finally adds Apple-based codecs (AAC, ALAC and AIFF) to the list -- who said iTunes and audiophiles can't get along? To jog your memory, the AK100 has a Wolfson WM8740 Digital-to-Analog Converter, 32GB of built-in storage, two microSD card slots and a 2,000 mAh battery that'll last 16 hours. Get a peek at the press release after the break or just head to the source to download the update.

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The Astell&Kern AK100 High Definition Portable Audio Player Is Now The ONLY
Portable Music Player You Need

With The Addition of AAC, ALAC AND AIFF File Support, The AK100 Plays Any Audio File Format You May Have


Irvine, CA --- iriver is proud to announce the release of firmware version 1.30 for the Astell&Kern AK100, which now supports many Apple-based audio codes most consumers currently use. Music lovers everywhere can stop carrying multiple portable audio devices in order to enjoy the high definition, studio-quality sound from Astell&Kern's AK100.

The new upgrade allows users to play both new high definition audio and their current collection of digital music, all with one player.

The Astell&Kern player is the first portable hi-fi audio device from iriver, capable of Mastering Quality Sound (MQS) playback. MQS files are sound or music files saved as a lossless format, straight from the studio mastering source. Because less data is lost during the digital mastering process and the sound quality is distortion-free, a dramatic difference from the 24bit source data from MQS files and CD (WAV)/MP3s can be heard and felt. MQS files are often in 24bit WAV or FLAC formats. With the encoding process in the AK100 MQS Portable System, MQS music and sounds are more refined and pure.

Henry Park, CEO of iriver, says, "We are very pleased that the addition of AAC, ALAC, and AIFF codecs makes the Astell&Kern portable audio player the only music unit anyone will ever need. Music lovers finally get the quality of the music they have been longing for, yet can access their entire collection in one unit. We think that is pretty awesome."

The Astell&Kern is the world's first portable audio device equipped with the Wolfson WM8740 Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). It contains 32GB of internal memory and can be expanded via two (2) microSD card slots, each supporting an additional 32GB microSD card. The Astell&Kern is compatible with FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC and AIFF audio files. Its 2,000 mAH battery provides up to 16 hours of playback on a single charge. The Astell&Kern offers numerous connection options, including micro-USB, optical in/out and headphone out.

Iriver has partnered with HDtracks to provide users with albums encoded with Mastering Quality Sound. HDtracks is a high-quality music download service offering an exciting catalog of Mastering Quality music from every major label across all genres. They have several formats available for fans of all types of music. If you would like genuine CD-quality sound, HDtracks offers both AIFF and FLAC lossless files. For those who wish to carry their music in a portable mp3 player, they have 320kbps files that far exceed the quality of standard MP3 files. For audiophiles, HDtracks has a large catalog of ultra-high resolution 96kHz/24bit and 192kHz/24-bit titles from legendary rock, jazz, and classical artists as well as emerging artists. This is true DVD-audio sound quality for music lovers that demand the very best!

The AK100 is $699 and is available at high-end audio stores and online at Amazon.com, Buy.com, ebay.com and www.iriverinc.com.

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Source: iriver

PBS draws link between digital music ethics and magic spells, somehow makes it look simple (video)

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PBS draws link between digital music rights and magic spells, somehow makes it look simple video

AAC files and the arcane don't have much in common on the surface. After some digging, however, PBS' Idea Channel has found that magic is an uncannily good analogy for digital music rights and explaining the thorny ethical issues that come with them. Both music and spells stem from grassroots cultures that give away their content for free, but (at least until an anti-magic clampdown at eBay) have since become businesses. That nature poses a key ethical question: when we're used to a free experience and can copy songs or spells as much as we like, what does it take to keep us as honest customers? As show host Mike Rugnetta suggests, it's a matter of personal responsibility -- if we want more of either, we have to think of the commerce as showing support for future work. You can catch Mike's clever train of thought after the break, and ponder what constitutes DRM for a potion while you're at it.

Continue reading PBS draws link between digital music ethics and magic spells, somehow makes it look simple (video)

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PBS draws link between digital music ethics and magic spells, somehow makes it look simple (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Primed: digital audio basics

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Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. You can follow the series here. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com.

Primed

Digital audio. There's a very good chance that you've enjoyed some today. It's one of the more universal aspects of technology. In fact, perhaps the more relevant question would be, when was the last time you listened to an analog format? The truth, for many, will be quite some time ago -- vinyl purists and the odd cassette fanatic aside. Yet, despite its ubiquity, there's a lot of misunderstanding and confusion about digital audio. Some believe it'll never match analog for true fidelity, some assert quite the opposite. Many lament the lack of a tactile format, while others love the portability that comes with zeros and ones.

In this installment of Primed, we take a look at the history of digital sound, as well as provide an introduction to some of its key components, with the view to helping us understand it better. Wondering what bitrate to encode your MP3s at? Or whether you should choose a 96 or 44.1KHz sample rate? We thought as much. By the time we're through, these questions should no longer lay heavy on your mind, and you can enjoy that latest Knife Party, or Britney track as much as its bit depth allows. What's bit depth you say? Well, read on to find out...

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Engadget Primed: digital audio basics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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